Car enthusiasts in Asia have been thrilled by the opening of the Shanghai Auto Museum. Not only is this groundbreaking permanent exhibition the first large museum in China that is exclusively dedicated to the automobile and its historical development, it has also been praised for its comprehensive coverage of car-related topics.

Created by the highly innovative team at Atelier Brckner and following the company’s motto of ‘form follows content’, the 2,400 square metres exhibition was developed to address the evolution of automobile design from inception to present day experiments in shape, function, and performance.

The permanent exhibition has been arranged to mimic a typical urban scene: a strong grid and a ‘street’, complete with road markings, define the main circulation space around the museum.

With Chinese manufacturers banging on the door of the global car market, perhaps the museum will become a mausoleum of soon-to-be-defunct Western brands.